The soldiers and just a few of the volunteers went out to the battlefield the morning of the 18th, recovered their dead, and returned to camp. The Indians did not offer battle. The boys recovered their dead without being molested. A little while after the dead were brought to camp the soldiers got orders to move on to the Indians and renew their attack. The volunteers could not go, as they did not have guns enough to go around. Before the boys got ready to go, a messenger arrived from Fairchild's, stating that Gillem wanted the company to report to him that day, so they gave the dead a hasty temporary burial and started for their headquarters, cursing the Indians, vowing vengeance to the Modoc tribe. The volunteers vacated their camp immediately upon the departure of the soldiers, headed for Linkville, now known as Klamath Falls, Oregon. The most of the boys were gunless and hatless. The Klamath Indians accompanied the volunteers. Two of their number were missing.
The Modoc Indians in the Lava Beds noted the departure, of the soldiers and volunteers and Klamath scouts with delight. They amused themselves by making the two captured Klamath prisoners, cutting all kinds of monkey-shines, war dances, and so forth. One of the Klamath prisoner's name was Psin-ta-tum-weis, translated in English, "Night Traveler." The other the writer forgets the name.
Dr. J. O. Skinner, late surgeon in the U. S. Army during the Modoc War, now residing in Washington, D. C., writes that "Lieut. Sherwood, 21st Infantry, who was killed the same day that Gen. Canby was killed, but on the other side of Tule Lake (Col. Mason's camp), and where he happened to be at the time. Sherwood was officer of the day and went out alone to see what the Modocs wanted. They were waving a white flag but when he got near enough to them to hear them they requested him to leave his sword and pistol where he was, and come out and talk to them. This he did, to show them he was honest in his intentions. But this magnanimity on his part cost him his life, since they opened fire on him with fatal effect as soon he he was Close enough. It was the basest sort of treachery on the part of the Modocs. I got Sherwood off the field after he was mortally wounded. He died shortly afterward."
